I fought the claw

Samantha making mugs, Seagrove, NC

.....and the claw won.  I bought this t-shirt when we went to Maine 4 years ago.  We had an awesome time and ate lots of lobsters for dinner and oyster stew for lunch. 

We are busy in the studio making functional pottery for the Moka glaze kiln and more pieces for our flowing glaze kiln too. I have a few more days to go for the Moka glaze, probably take me the rest of the week to finish up and decorate the thrown pieces with dotted patterns.  Cousins in Clay is the weekend of June 1 and 2 this year. We are really excited to meet David MacDonald and see his wonderfully patterned pottery and catch up with Jack Troy who will be returning with his luscious wood-fired work.

This weekend, May 3-5 is FireFest, a first time annual event in Star, NC., hosted by Starworks, celebrating Art made with fire!  I hope we can get a few chances to go down and check out all the neat things that will be happening just 5 miles down the road.  You can buy tickets ahead of time for a bit cheaper cost, or wait and buy them on the day for a few dollars more. There are demos during the day and talks and music Fri. and Sat. evening.  All of the details are on the STARworks website.

Samantha making mugs, Seagrove, NC

I really love to throw/turn pots. There is something so comforting about knowing a form, the amount of clay I need to make that form, and to be able to do it mostly without too much struggle. The tumblers below were like that this time.  Sometimes this form can take a me few to get the rhythm down, but a couple of nights ago they were friendly to make.  It is satisfying and pleasurable to feel the clay pull up almost on its own. 

Samantha's tumblers before trimming

Samantha covering pottery for the night, Seagrove, NC

Maine is a beautiful place. When we went it rained everyday, which actually made for a very relaxing vacation. We didn't feel like we had to hustle out of the house to go hiking and do something, so in the mornings we relaxed and read books and enjoyed the beauty around the house, and in the afternoon we ventured out in our raincoats to eat and take short hikes. The mosses were lush and the shoreline blissful.  The following are some images from that trip.

Cousins in Clay - Seagrove June 1 & 2

"Cousins in Clay" - Postcard Front 

"Cousins in Clay" 2013

Contemporary Pottery Show and Sale
June 1-2, 2013

Meet the Potters 

 David MacDonald

Jack Troy

Michael Kline

Samantha Henneke

 Bruce Gholson

at Bulldog Pottery - Seagrove, NC 27341

3306 US Hwy 220 Alt.

5 miles south of Seagrove traffic light - Look for the Blue Watertower 

336-302-3469

June 1 - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm

music by Chronis Pou Vasilou during the day

at 3:00pm demo by Michael Kline and Bruce Gholson

June 2 - Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm

Potters Potluck at noon - All are welcome

music by Will McCanless 

at 1:30pm Jack Troy presents selections of his poetry

"Cousins in Clay" - Postcard Back 

Samantha Henneke Yunomis - AKAR Gallery Annual Yunomi Show

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

For this year's annual Yunomi show Samantha sent a set of Moka glaze leaf cups. 

       The AKAR Yunomi invitational has developed quite a following over the years. One time a handful of years back Bruce sent one of his first skull cups.  After sending it I began to feel remorse and wanted that cup back.  Ed (my dad) and I decided that we were going to buy it back. We signed up for an account ahead of time, sat at the computer at the time of the opening and proceeded to go to Bruce's page. We had slow internet service and it took awhile for the images to load up at that time. Well when we went to Bruce's page the cup had sold. I wonder who bought the piece? Whoever did they have a winner.
I hope I have not discouraged you from trying to purchase these Yunomis or any other potters' Yunomis from the AKAR online, I only want to express that it would wise to get an account now, and be ready when the clock turns to.... well I am not sure when it starts, I  think I remember in the past that it was late morning. You can sign up for AKAR's email list and they will send you information about the time that the show will open.  They also have an AKAR Art facebook page where they have been sharing some of the Yunomis that will be for sale and everyday from here until the 18th they are having a you name the Yunomi contest. 

And yes I do have a picture of the skull cup that Ed and I wanted to buy back, would you like to see it? I get to gaze on it through my computer screen. I am glad I have a picture of it.

AKAR Yunomi Online Show opens on Friday, April 19, 2013. 

There are 200 potters invited to send 5 Yunomis each to AKAR Gallery's annual Yunomi exhibition.   If you are thinking you may want to purchase a Yunomi or two from one of the 200 potters featured, it is a good idea to sign up and get an account now.  This show is an online sale only, and when the exhibit opens Friday morning many of the Yunomis sell out in the first hour.

Yunomi is a casual drinking vessel that is taller than it is wide.

AKAR and the potters donate some of the proceeds of this Yunomi sale to the Studio Potter. The Studio Potter is a bi-yearly magazine that promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community. To find out more about the Studio Potter Magazine visit their website.

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC,  Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC,  Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Bruce Gholson Yunomis - AKAR Gallery Annual Yunomi Show

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

  

 AKAR Yunomi Online Show opens on Friday, April 19, 2013. 

There are 200 potters invited to send 5 Yunomis each to AKAR Gallery's annual Yunomi exhibition.   If you are thinking you may want to purchase a Yunomi or two from one of the 200 potters featured, it is a good idea to sign up and get an account now.  This show is an online sale only, and when the exhibit opens Friday morning many of the Yunomis sell out in the first hour.

Yunomi is a casual drinking vessel that is taller than wide.

These are the 5 Yunomis that Bruce sent this year.

AKAR and the potters donate some of the proceeds of this Yunomi sale to the Studio Potter. The Studio Potter is a bi-yearly magazine that promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community. To find out more about the Studio Potter Magazine visit their website.

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi, Set of five